Loom-harness.



No. 733,660. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. G. KNIBBS & R. H. STERRETT.

LOOM HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES KNIBBS AND ROBERT H. STERRET' I, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

LOOM-HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 733,660, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed March 28,1901. Serial No. 53,177. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES KNIBBS and RGBERT H. STERRETT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Paterson, in the.

county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Loom-Harness, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to loom-harness, and more particularly to means for holding the heddle shafts or bars in such relation to each other as to prevent the chafing and breaking of the warp-threads, as well as the chafing and breaking of the heddles themselves.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a set of heddle shafts or bars provided with heddles arranged in a plurality of narrow sets, as in a ribbon-loom, and showing the shaft or bar adjusting means in position as in use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section from front to rear, showing two consecutive sets of heddle shafts or bars. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in detail of a portion of one of the heddles, showing the eye closed as when the heddle is under undue strain. Fig. at is a similar view showthe eye of the heddle open as when properly adjusted by our improved shaft or bar adjusting mechanism. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in detail of one of the spreaders broken away above and below the center, showing the swivel connection, the view being taken at the side. Fig. 6 is a view of the same, the lowerhook being partially broken away looking at the spreader from the front or rear. Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the swivel in longitudinal section; and Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of a portion of a pair of-shafts or bars, showing heddles arranged in a broad group, as in the weaving of wide materials.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the heddle shafts or bars in one set are denoted by C6 b and in the adjacent set by 0 cl. They are shown in the present instance suspended by means of cords e f, passing over pulleys leading to the shedding-motion of any well-known or approved form, as is usual, and are held in position by means of weights 9 h, attached to the lower bar or shaft by means of bar-clamps '1; j, sliding through openings in a door or guide pieces 7; Z. When tension is applied to the shafts a b by means of the weights g h, as herein shown, or by any other well-known means for holding the set of heddle-bars in position, it serves to stretch the heddles m close the eyes of the heddles, through which the warp-threads are passed, as shown at n, Fig. 3. Such closing of the eyes of the heddles causes friction on the opposite sides of chafing action between the warp-thread and the opposite sides of the eye, tending to wear away the Wall of the eye of the heddle and ruin it, requiring the stoppage of the loom for the insertion of a new heddle. While this is an important matter to be avoided, the closing of the eye leads to still further important annoyances and evils, in that it prevents the passage through the eye of knots, slugs, slivers, and numerous excrescences due to the imperfect spinning or the thread or to the attachment of foreign bits to the thread of the warp, thereby producing a strain upon the warp suffrcient to break it, and so require the stopping of the loom to free the eye of the heddle from the obstruction, pass the warp-thread through it,and attach it before proceeding again. This rubbing action of the warp-threads against the Walls of the eyes of the heddles, as well as the rubbing action of the heddles on two successive sets of shafts or bars, to be hereinafter' considered, particularly when the loom is run at a high speed, generates electricity and attracts foreign matter in the shape of short bits of thread from the material itself being Woven, as well as from the clothing of the weaver, thereby increasing the amount of foreign material adhering to the warpthreads, which is finally collected at the eye of the heddle, producing a binding effect sufficient to break the warp. Our present invention is directed to simple and eifective means for materially reducing this liability of breakage and of wear and tear and consists in the introduction of what we are pleased to term spreaders, which, while they are free from extension and shrinkage under the difierent conditions of moisture in the atmosphere, may be adjusted with great precision, so as to hold the shafts or bars on which the heddles are secured in such relation to one another that the eyes of the hedtaut between the bars and has a tendency to the warp-threads, so that there is a constant dles shall'm aintain a normal partially-opened condition,as shown at n, Fig. 4. The spreader which we prefer to employ is sectional, the adjacent endsofeach section being provided with means for drawing the sections toward and forcing them away from one another, While the opposite ends of the sections are provided with loops for engaging the heddle-supporting shafts or bars. In our preferred form the shanks of the sections of the heddles are denoted by 0 and 1), one of the shanks being screw-threaded, in the present instance the shank 0 being screw-threaded, as shown at q, while the opposite shank is provided on its end adjacent to q with a flattened laterallyextended head 9" (see Fig. 7) for the purpose of connecting the two sections by acombined turnbuckle and swivel of peculiar structure, as follows: A tubular extension 3 at one end of the turnbuckle is provided with an internal screw-thread for the reception of the screw-threaded portion q of the shank 0 of one section of the spreader, while the opposite end't' of the turnbuckle is also tubular and is adapted to receive the shank p with a loose fit, permitting it to freely rotate. Intermediate of the portions 3 and 25 the turnbuckle is provided with an enlarged interior bore, with an opening to leading through from one side to the other, and at the base of its opening u there is provided a recess o for the reception of the flattened and laterally-extended head 1 on the end of the shank p. The opening to through the turnbuckle is intended to be of such size that when the shank p is slid upwardly a slight distance to bring the head 1' to register with the opening to it will permit the flattened and laterally-extended head 7' to rotate freely within the turnbuckle; but the said shaft 19 will be held locked against rotary movement relative to the turnbuckle the moment its head 1' drops into the recess 1). The opposite ends of the sections of the spreader are provided with loops formed by bending the end of the spreader over and finally bringing it into proximity to the shank 0, as shown at w and m, the object being to bring the ends 10 and :1; within the planes of the opposite faces ofthe shaft-s a and Z7, so that they will not be liable to catch on adjacent heddles strung on an adjacent set of shafts-as, for example, 0 and (Z. (See Fig. 2.)

The spreaders may be conveniently formed of wire, either round or polygonal in crosssection, and the wire of which they are formed may be tempered, so as to permit the loops at the opposite ends of the spreader to be sprung over the bars a and b by spreading the points '20 and 0t away from the shanks and allowing them to spring back into position after the bars have been embraced by the loops. When so constructed, the spreader may be sprung into position at any point throughout the lengths of the heddle-supporting bars or shafts, and then the distance between the bars a and b may be accurately adjusted by turning the turnbuckles in a direction to shorten or lengthen the spreaders, as may be desired. When it is desired to shorten the spreader or to lengthen it, the shank 12 will be first raised a slight distance to permit its head '7 to rotate within the turnbuckle, and when the adjustment is completed it may be allowed to fall back into its locked position.

These spreaders may be adjusted at suitable intervals along a broad series of heddles for broad weaving, as shown in Fig. 8, or intermediate of narrow series of heddles for narrow weaving, as shown in Fig. 1, and the same adjustment may be also utilized in connecting the upper bar a with the cords f, if so desired.

In the present instance we have shown the rods between the cords e f and the bar a made sectional and connected by swivels of the same character as those hereinabove described. This will serve to adjust the set of heddle-supporting bars as a whole Without manipulating the cords in case the one cord should stretch a little more than another or there should be need of truing them up into a level position. The spreaders as above constructed not only serve to space the bars at the proper distance apart to hold the eyes of the heddles in such normal positions as to freely permit the passage of the knots and other foreign matter on the warp without breaking the warp and producing breakdowns and smashes, but where their looped ends pass around shafts or bars they form bearings between successive sets of bars, thereby preventing the rubbing action between two consecutive sets of heddles where they pass around their supporting-bars, and hence prevent the wear of the heddles and the development of electricity which results from the rapid rubbing when the loom is run at a high speed.

Itis obvious that changes might be resorted to in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. Hence we do not wish to limit ourselves strictly to the structure herein set forth; but

What we claim is- 1. The combination with the upper and lower heddle-bars, of sectional spreaders provided with spring-loops at their opposite ends for locking the sections to the bars in removable adjustment and means for adjusting the sections of each spreader relative to one another to vary the distance between the bars.

2. A spreader for heddle-bars comprising rod-sections provided with loops for engaging the bars and a combined turnbuckle and swivel having a screw-threaded engagement with one of the sections and a free rotary movement and locking engagement with the other section, substantially as set forth.

3. A spreader for heddle-bars comprising rod-sections, provided at one end with loops for applying the spreader to and removing it from the bars at pleasure, one of said secagainst turning when the laterally-extended tions being provided,at its opposite end,with head is in the recess, substantially as set a screw-thread and the other with a laterallyforth.

extended end and a combined turnbuckle In testimony that we claim the foregoing as and swivel having an internal screw-thread l our invention we have signed our names, in for engaging the screw-thread on one of the presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of sections and with a recessed socket for the March, 1901.

reception of the laterally-extended head of CHAS. KNIBBS.

the opposite section whereby the said turn- ROBERT H. STERRETT. buckle may be turned freely relative to one Witnesses:

of the sections when its laterally-extended FREDK. HAYNES,- head is out of the recess and may be locked 1 C. S. SUNDGREN. 

